TCC's Pickled Mustard Green Soup

This is a very southern Chinese recipe, where mustard greens are prevalent and the dominant cuisine is light and not overly filling. You can actually find analogues of this soup in Vietnam, Thailand, and Cambodia. The recipes are all slightly different, but all revolve around the salty/sour bite of the pickled mustard green and the clarity of a simply boiled meat.

It's not a dish for everyone, but I treasure it for its simplicity and restorative powers. It's also a damn good hangover cure.

You can find pickled mustard green s(In Vietnamese, it will be called Cải Chua) and chicken powder in most Asian supermarkets.

Method

While mustard greens are soaking, Slice pork ribs into as bite sized chunks. Marinate in cornstarch, soy sauce, and sugar for fifteen minutes.

When meat is finished marinating, toss into sauce pan and fill with water to cover slightly. Add ginger, garlic, shiitake stems, and chicken powder and bring to a boil.

Skim the broth with a spoon, making sure to remove any of the scum that rises to the top, this will make the broth clearer and more appetizing looking as well as reduce the bitter taste of coagulated proteins. You can toss the soup scum as it has minimal nutritional value. Simmer broth for 20-30 minutes, then fish out mushroom stems.

Add tofu, shiitakes, and mustard greens, stir through and let simmer for ten more minutes. The resulting soup should be pleasingly sour and salty.